FAQs

Welcome to the FAQs page, which provides answers to the most frequently asked HR questions. Please select a topic by clicking one of the buttons below; you will then see a list of questions - to view an answer simply click on the question.

If you still have a question that isn’t answered through this page or the other advice pages, policies and procedure documents within the wider HR site, please click the Can’t find what you are looking for icon on the right and you’ll be put in direct contact with the HR Team.

Recruitment and Resourcing

Download and complete the following form. This should be completed on a monthly basis by the casual worker making the claim. Once complete, it should be emailed to the line manager who will review and arrange for further processing. Please review the form which contains further information on key timeframes:

Please download and complete the following form. This should be completed on a monthly basis by the Hourly Paid Academic making the claim, once complete, it should be submitted the area Finance Officer who will review the claim, then arrange for it to be issued to the Payroll department for processing. Your line manager will be able to confirm the Finance Officer within your area:

You should have received details of your induction programme with your offer letter and again when you arrive so please refer to these in the first instance and speak to your line manager for a steer on what to do. A summary of what you need to do can be found on the induction page of the HR website. If you need more tailored advice on your induction please email HR-HRDEnquiries@salford.ac.uk.

Please refer to the WCN User Guise (the E-Recruitment System) for a step by step guide on the creation of a vacancy on WCN. Please contact the Resourcing & Talent Team on 0161 295 2121 if you have any further queries.

All staff who are required to be part of an interview panel MUST first have completed the Recruitment & Selection training which consists of an online toolkit and a face-to-face workshop. You can access these sessions:

A hiring manager must endeavor to finalise all the terms of an employment offer and contract BEFORE the documentation is issued. If any non-standard employment terms are to be offered (e.g. offering a salary above the spinal entry point), then this must first be discussed with the area HR Business Partner. Once terms are finalised , the Hiring Manager should contact hrresourcing@salford.ac.uk so offer documentation can be issued.

This could significantly vary, due to factors including: the pre-employment checks required, the new starters notice period, the new starters response times. If you have a new starter and would like a progress update, please contact hrresourcing@salford.ac.uk.

The Resourcing Team will register the new starter on the SAP personnel system, which will raise a personnel number. This number will be issued to the Hiring Manager who will then be able to register the individual for an online network account, using the following form (click here). Once this is complete the new starter will be able to visit the reception of the Maxwell Building (with a form of photographic ID) in order to collect their University I.D card.

All reference and confirmation of employment requests should be submitted by email to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk along with details of your requirements and where possible the contact and address details of the organisation that the reference should be sent to.

It is the University’s procedure to only provide a standard reference which contains factual information about the employment details of colleagues or former employees.

In the event a character/personal reference is requested from a University employee, this can be provided by colleagues only once it has been acknowledged that the reference is only given in a personal capacity and that the information provided is not disclosed on behalf of the University. Under no circumstances must University headed paper or a University telephone or email address be used for character/personal references.

Performance and development

As part of your induction your line manager should offer to find you a mentor although this can be done at any time in your employment. You should also feel free to seek a mentor yourself. Whilst mentoring focuses on giving advice based on the experience of someone else, coaching focuses on helping you find your own answers based on your own experience. We have several fully qualified internal coaches and you can apply to receive up to 3 coaching sessions from them. For further information please select the 'Coaching' drop-down, on the Performance & Development page (click here).

You can
access the e-PDR system by clicking on the e-PDR icon on your desktop, this
should take you straight through to the system. You can also access the system
on the homepage of the staff channel or via the HR the Performance and Development Page.

If you require any changes to the organisational structure (for your area) on the system i.e. your direct reports, please email the team at: pdrupdates@salford.ac.uk detailing the change you would like us to make as well as management approval if necessary.

You should have received details of your induction programme with your offer letter and again when you arrive so please refer to these in the first instance and speak to your line manager for a steer on what to do. A summary of what you need to do can be found on the induction page of the HR website. If you need more tailored advice on your induction please email HR-HRDEnquiries@salford.ac.uk.

Yes. If your line manger isn’t already aware of your training need them please discuss this with them first and let them know that you are planning to attend. They may need you to rearrange for operational reasons, to arrange cover for you or to discuss the suitability of the chosen session for you at this point in time.

Internal training sessions can be booked online via Salford Advantage. To search for available sessions and book on, please go to the 'Events' where you will be able to find the sessions currently scheduled:

Please note, in certain instances, such as if you want to sign up to an ILM qualification, you may need to email us at HR-HRDEnquiries@salford.ac.uk in the first instance to confirm and reserve your place on the course. Please enter any special needs or dietary requirements into the form at the time of booking; if any further clarification is needed, we will contact you directly.

Sessions are funded on your behalf by the University. If you are booked onto a session then it’s assumed that you will attend for the whole time; arriving late and/or leaving early can be disruptive for the group and impact on learning. You could also be taking up a place for someone else who would be able to take full advantage of the session. If you’re unable to attend for the whole time then please let us know in advance so that a decision can be made on whether it’s viable for you to still attend. If you have an issue on the day then please contact HR-HRDEnquiries@salford.ac.uk or inform the facilitator at the start of the session.

We offer several development options for new and experienced people managers, coaching may also be a suitable support option for you. Please select the 'Leadership and Management Development' drop-down, on the Performance & Development page (click here).

Please send an email to HR-HRDEnquiries@salford.ac.uk and depending on the nature of your query it’ll be forwarded onto the most appropriate person within HR. You’ll be contacted to discuss your specific requirements.

If there’s a course or qualification that you’d like to do which will actively enhance your skills in your role, you could possibly be partially funded by the University to do this. You can apply to the ‘Professional Accredited Learning Fund’ if you work in professional services or an administrative role within a schools to receive partial funding for your course fees. Your school/professional service is usually be expected to fund the remainder of the course fees. Your line manager will need to be in support of you taking this qualification. Please view the following page for full detail on the current application window:

The University operates a long service scheme for members of staff with 25 years continuous service with the University. Individuals will be contacted directly with a letter and certificate when this anniversary has occurred.

The University’s Merit Award Scheme (policy available here) for recognising and rewarding those individual members of staff who are supporting the University to meet its strategic objectives through exceptional performance.

If a line manager feels that a member of staff meets the criteria set out in the policy and they wish to nominate the employee for a Merit Award, they must complete the Merit Award Nomination Form.

To avoid an adverse effect on morale, it is best for managers to only inform individuals if their nomination is successful.

Individuals cannot nominate themselves for an individual merit award; the responsibility for making recommendations will rest with managers who should take into account in their deliberations all nominations/comments made by other staff.

The form must then be sent to the HR Business Partner for the School/Professional Service who will review the nomination by considering the quality and appropriateness.

If the HR Business Partner supports the nomination, they will forward to the relevant Finance Manager for their consent also before sending to the Head of School or Director for final approval.

Family friendly and flexible working

Members of staff who are prevented from attending work for reasons other than their own illness should inform their line manager of the reasons for absence as early as possible, but preferably by 10:00am on the day of absence.

The University makes provisions for employees who need to take a short amount of unpaid time off during working hours to deal with emergency situations which involve the need to care for a dependent. Full details are available in the Time off for Domestic Incidents document.

Your line manager should inform HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk of the dates of unpaid domestic leave so that the necessary payroll amendment can be made.

The time off is to deal with emergency situations, not the provision of care. For example, you would be entitled to take time off to make the necessary arrangements for alternative care for a dependent where existing arrangements fall down but would not have the right to take time off to care for the dependent for a prolonged period.

All employees, regardless of length of service, are entitled to unpaid time off for domestic incidents.

The welfare of our people is of primary importance to the University and having correct information allows us to be able to contact you when necessary. It is also vital to our business continuity planning should any emergency situations arise at the University. In addition, it is a condition of employment that your details are kept updated.

If your circumstances have changed recently then please complete the ‘Changes to Contact Details’ form which you can find under the ‘Change of Personal Circumstance’ drop down on the following page.

The University values the knowledge, skills and experience of all its employees and recognizes the benefits that flexible retirement may have for both the employee concerned and the University as a whole. The Flexible Working Policy details the University’s approach to flexible retirement, which is in line with current legislation and good practice.

With regards to information in relation to your pension you must contact Rachel Nield (Pensions Officer). The contact number is 0161 295 4193 or email pensions@salford.ac.uk.

If you decide that you do wish to be considered for Flexible Retirement you must complete the Flexible Retirement Form and submit to their line manager no later than three months before the requested implementation date.

There is no right to flexible retirement and each application will be considered on its individual merit in light of service delivery needs, the benefits to the University of the retirement and the overall cost to the pension fund and the University.

HR and your line manager must be informed if you are expecting. HR can then send you the maternity leave scheme and mothers code of practice for reference. A risk assessment will also be required; this must be completed with your line manager and returned to HR.

An individual must inform their line manager at least 28 days in advance if they wish to alter the previously notified date on which they intend to start their maternity leave where reasonably practicable to do so.

As per the maternity leave scheme Annual leave should not normally be carried over from one holiday year to the next and cannot be taken during maternity leave. However, in exceptional circumstances, some carryover of annual leave may be agreed with the Head of School/Director of Professional Services.

Leave and absence

Members of staff who are prevented from attending work for reasons other than their own illness should inform their line manager of the reasons for absence as early as possible, but preferably by 10:00am on the day of absence.

The University makes provisions for employees who need to take a short amount of unpaid time off during working hours to deal with emergency situations which involve the need to care for a dependent. Full details are available in the Time off for Domestic Incidents document.

Your line manager should inform HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk of the dates of unpaid domestic leave so that the necessary payroll amendment can be made.

The time off is to deal with emergency situations, not the provision of care. For example, you would be entitled to take time off to make the necessary arrangements for alternative care for a dependent where existing arrangements fall down but would not have the right to take time off to care for the dependent for a prolonged period.

All employees, regardless of length of service, are entitled to unpaid time off for domestic incidents.

If you job share or are part time support staff and your normal pattern of work is such that you work less than 5 days per week, your entitlement to annual leave is pro-rata based on the number of days worked each week.

There will be local administrative arrangements in place in your business area for the requesting and approval of annual leave and these should be followed accordingly.

Whilst the University will endeavour to accommodate your personal preferences for the timing of your annual leave, the taking of leave must be approved in advance by your Dean of School/Division or appropriate nominee to ensure that the operational needs of the University can be met in your absence.

If you are unsure of the local arrangements for annual leave requests you should speak to your line manager in the first instance.

You will need to contact your line manager in writing (email
or letter) confirming that you wish to resign from your post/s at the
University and state the date you intend for your employment to end.

The amount of notice that you need to provide will be
detailed in your contract of employment. However the standard requirements are
detailed below:

Grades 6 and below = One calendar months’ notice

Grades 7 and above = Three calendar months’
notice

Should you wish to leave earlier than the required notice
period you must discuss this with your line manager in the first instance.

Your line manager will need to forward your written
resignation to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk
with confirmation of the agreed final date of employment.

You will receive written confirmation of the end of your
employment from the University in due course and will be asked to complete an exit
questionnaire and return this to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk.
Alternatively, you can arrange to meet with your line manager to talk through
the questionnaire together.

Once your final date of employment is confirmed your manager will be advised of your pro rata annual leave entitlement for the current leave year. The amount of annual leave you have already taken will be deducted.

Any accrued leave should be taken before your final date of employment and leave should be booked in the usual way in agreement with your line manager.

With regards to
information in relation to your pension you must contact Rachel Nield (Pensions
Officer). The contact number is 0161 295 4193 or email pensions@salford.ac.uk.

If you decide that
you do wish to retire you will need to contact your line manager in writing
(email or letter) confirming that you wish to retire from your post/s at the
University and state the date you intend for your employment to end.

The amount of notice
that you need to provide will be detailed in your contract of employment.
However the standard requirements are detailed below:

Grades 6 and below = One calendar months’ notice

Grades 7 and above = Three calendar months’ notice

Your line manager
will need to forward your expression of intent to retire to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk
with confirmation of the agreed final date of employment.

You will receive
written confirmation of the end of your employment from the University in due
course and will be asked to complete an exit questionnaire (and HESA information if
applicable) and return this to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk. Alternatively, you can
arrange to meet with your line manager to talk through the questionnaire
together.

Confirmation of the
agreed retirement date will also be sent to Rachel Nield and necessary
arrangements made.

Additional Information for Professors:

Council may confer
the title of Professor Emeritus upon any person who at the time of their
retirement has held the appointment of Professor in the University. This title
is an honour in the gift of the University in recognition of distinguished
service or academic distinction and there is no appeal should the University
decide not to award the title. Details of the application process are available
in the Professorial Appointments and Promotions Procedure.

The University values the knowledge, skills and experience of all its employees and recognizes the benefits that flexible retirement may have for both the employee concerned and the University as a whole. The Flexible Working Policy details the University’s approach to flexible retirement, which is in line with current legislation and good practice.

With regards to information in relation to your pension you must contact Rachel Nield (Pensions Officer). The contact number is 0161 295 4193 or email pensions@salford.ac.uk.

If you decide that you do wish to be considered for Flexible Retirement you must complete the Flexible Retirement Form and submit to their line manager no later than three months before the requested implementation date.

There is no right to flexible retirement and each application will be considered on its individual merit in light of service delivery needs, the benefits to the University of the retirement and the overall cost to the pension fund and the University.

The University’s Sickness Absence Policy provides full details of the notification procedure you should follow in the event that you are not able to attend work due to sickness.

On the first day of absence you must contact the line manager or nominated person at the earliest possible time on the first day of absence, usually by telephone. This should be done within one hour of your normal start time.

Upon return to work you must complete a University Self Certification Form to cover periods of sickness absence of one to seven days and send it to the nominated person.

If you are absent for more than 7 consecutive days (including weekends and bank holidays) you must advise the nominated person of your continuing ill health, obtain a Statement of Fitness to Work and forward it to the nominated person. Medical Certificates should be submitted to the University at the time of receipt. You will then need to submit subsequent medical certificates to cover your absence.

Please note that there may be local notification arrangements in place in your business area and these should be followed accordingly.

The University is committed to promoting the health and wellbeing of all our employees and supporting them through periods of ill health. Some employees may benefit from undergoing a health assessment which will allow them and their manager understand more about a potential condition, how it can impact their work duties, or their progress in returning to work from a period of absence. HML are the University's provider of occupational health support services, in order to make referrals on behalf of their team members line managers are required to set-up an online profile with HML, they will then be able to raise requests.

Please note, only line managers should create an online profile and raise requests. As such, if you are an employee in need of additional support, please speak with your line manager in the first instance.

You will be required to complete a number of fields, it is important that for the 'Line Manager' field you select 'UoS-OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SUPPORT, 1'. This is required so the HR Team can facilitate your request with HML, you don't need to select your actual line manager within the University.

Once you have provided all your details and selected 'Register Now' you will be sent an email from the HML system. Once you open this email and provide verification you'll be able to use the system.

Please following these steps to raise a request for a health assessment:

Click on the link to access the secure HML website (https://portal.healthmanagement.org.uk). Insert the username and password you've previously created. You will then be presented with a number of options on the top menu bar

You should then select ‘Make a Referral’ you can then log-on and complete the referral for the employee, providing as much information as possible. The following guidance document is useful, providing information on how to use the system and what information should be submitted: 'How to make a quality referral'.

When all information is added to the online referral form, select “send”. This will submit the referral to HR Services for checking. HR services will support you in ensuring that the content is appropriate and complete.

HR Services will then send to HML and formally make the referral on your behalf.

At any time in the future, you can access the website and check the status of the referral and where in the process it is.

All services provided by HML are dealt with in the strictest confidence and information is only disclosed to third parties with the individual’s explicit consent.

Staff can access our Employee Assistance Programme via the web resource or by their free, confidential telephone support helpline. This service can be accessed 24 hours a day and all calls will be handled a qualified counsellor. All enquiries are dealt with in the strictest confidence. The Support Helpline number is 0800 716 017.

Workplace conduct

The University is committed to creating a positive working environment. It is recognised, however, that there may be occasions where an employee may wish to raise a concern, problem or complaint arising out of his or her employment. In the first instance an employee should always raise such a matter with their immediate line manager or another suitable management representative if this is not possible. Following consideration of the matter, if this employee does not feel the action taken is satisfactory, then they must complete and submit a Grievance Form, then submit this to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk . Please view the full Grievance Policy for full information on the practices adopted to address such matters.

You will need to contact your line manager in writing (email
or letter) confirming that you wish to resign from your post/s at the
University and state the date you intend for your employment to end.

The amount of notice that you need to provide will be
detailed in your contract of employment. However the standard requirements are
detailed below:

Grades 6 and below = One calendar months’ notice

Grades 7 and above = Three calendar months’
notice

Should you wish to leave earlier than the required notice
period you must discuss this with your line manager in the first instance.

Your line manager will need to forward your written
resignation to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk
with confirmation of the agreed final date of employment.

You will receive written confirmation of the end of your
employment from the University in due course and will be asked to complete an exit
questionnaire and return this to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk.
Alternatively, you can arrange to meet with your line manager to talk through
the questionnaire together.

Once your final date of employment is confirmed your manager will be advised of your pro rata annual leave entitlement for the current leave year. The amount of annual leave you have already taken will be deducted.

Any accrued leave should be taken before your final date of employment and leave should be booked in the usual way in agreement with your line manager.

Engagement

When compared to the University level results there will be differences at a local level. For example, the University level results suggests that too many people are not completely clear on what is expected of them. This might not be true from your perspective, or generally within your team. However, there might be other findings within the survey that do resonate for you. In which case you might have different priorities for improvement. This will be the case across the University and it’s positive to challenge the data and share things you do in your area which work well. The University level results certainly paint a picture, but we want you to work through the results for your area based on your perspective.

According to the Best Companies survey, which does ask questions about pay and conditions, simply paying people more money won’t improve engagement. Pay is a de-motivating factor and, although it can be a source of dissatisfaction, people’s perception of pay and benefits here seems positive. Especially in comparison to the not-for-profit sector. This is not to say some people won’t be dissatisfied with their pay and benefits, simply that increasing pay is not the key to improving engagement. According to this year’s survey, the most impactful factors of engagement are ‘Leadership’, ‘My Company’ (connection to the University), ‘My manager’ and ‘Personal Growth’. Best Companies suggest that improving things in these areas will most significantly benefit overall engagement.

Comments left as part of the survey won’t be shared openly, especially not broke down by smaller employment groups. As you can imagine, they contain things that might be intensely personal to individuals. To get value from the many comments made in response to the questions “what makes this a great place to work” and “what would make this a better place to work?, HR Business Partners will be working with Deans and Directors to take forward specific learning, issues and actions.

Obviously the higher the response rate the more representative the data. In order to receive any meaningful data Best Companies set a minimum response requirement of 40% for an organisation of our size, in this sector. The University response rate was 65%, which gives us a reliable representation based on the rules of the survey. Best Companies would suggest our data has strong integrity based on this response rate.

The survey is completely anonymous. The organisations structure (employment groups and employee details) are sent to Best Companies to set the survey up. From then on, all responses are handled by Best Companies. The data we can access is grouped by business unit and we can only see data if there are at least five responses received. This is true even when data is filtered – you can only ever see data in groups with more than five respondents. Best Companies never disclose the names of people who have completed the survey.

More data by School or Professional Service is provided in the ‘data packs’ for each employment group. These packs contain the BCI (overall engagement score), scores for the ‘8 factors of Engagement’, scores by key question and a range of benchmark comparisons.

Until the Best Companies lists are made public only basic benchmarking data is available. This data allows comparison to a stretch benchmark of similar sized organisations. More specific benchmarks can be selected once the list has been revealed, allowing us to compare against any other HE/FE institution. The number of HE/FE organisations who have undertaken the survey this year is not currently known, although 4 were available for comparison in 2016. However, the benchmarking data is not necessarily pivotal in making best use of the data. As the benchmarking ranks/ compares our data to factor or question scores, rather than list and BCI scores, it can detract from interpreting results. Benchmarking should be used lightly to add context and perspective, rather than taking away the focus from our specific raw data.

Best Companies’ original workplace engagement survey was researched and developed by a consultancy team supported by academics from the University of Plymouth with more than 60 years of research expertise between them. The process also had input from the Department for Trade and Industry. Many companies in the field of employee engagement will define a model before statistically testing their pre-defined model. However, this will only ever be as good as the model-builder’s own experience. What Best Companies decided to do was an initial study piloted the questions and exploratory Factor Analysis was used to identify the major factors defining people’s experience of their workplace - to identify the most useful questions in measuring those factors. Best Companies don’t claim to have the final and definitive model of employee engagement, merely the most robust and researched model to date.

Although we often refer to the items of the survey as “questions” they are in reality a series of statements, in which colleagues must respond on a seven point scale, ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree. The seven point response format (developed by Rensis Likert) is used to provide finer granularity of detail and more choice to the respondent. The questions asked in the main body of the survey are all scored in this way. However, as some of the questions are negatively phrased, all questions are encoded so that 7 is the most favourable response (Strongly Agree for positive questions and Strongly Disagree for negative questions) and 1 is the least favourable response (Strongly Disagree for positive questions and Strongly Agree for negative questions) to a question. This means that higher scores are always a good thing, regardless of whether or not the question is negatively phrased. This is how the scores for each question and factor are generated. The question responses are also used to identify response patterns; the number of positive, neutral or negative respondents to a question or factor of engagement. Response patterns are always provided as a percentage of respondents within the group.

To create a final “list score” for a company, the factor scores (for that organisation) are combined. However, some factors show more variation in score between companies than others. For example, the range of scores achieved by companies for the My Manager factor is wider than the range of scores achieved for the Wellbeing factor. Therefore, to prevent a high or low score on the more varied factors drowning out performance on the less variable factors, the factor scores are normalised before they are averaged. Best Companies use the “list score” to create the small, mid and large sized organisations Top 100 lists. To be applicable to organisations of different sizes, the accreditation methodology must compare the performance of all companies on a single scale. However, the engagement challenges inherent in larger organisations are very different to those in smaller organisations in the not-for-profit list. For example, within the factor “Leadership”, Leaders and Senior Managers can communicate with a company of 50 employees much more easily than with a company of 5,000; this means that larger organisations would be at a disadvantage if measured purely on list score alone. In order to allow for company size, scores are first standardised according to the size group in which the company belongs and then rescaled to put them on a scale which runs from 0 to roughly 1000.

The best way forward is to use the results at both University and local level to start a meaningful dialogue. What is the picture of engagement in your area and what are the most impactful steps for you and your team? We are encouraging leaders to set aside dedicated time for you to answer the questions set out in the summary presentation and video. Using a simple structure to identify the things you need to make changes. This is not an action planning or form filling process. It is an opportunity for you and your colleagues to identify the things that will really make a difference in relation to engagement.

There are huge amounts of data in the survey and we have tried to provide a significant enough snap-shot for your area. We have not provided the data in charts or heat maps, which can be unwieldy and take a long time to work through. Instead we have provided you with a couple of high-level charts and the raw data to help you start a meaningful dialogue around interpretation. You have question scores, benchmark comparisons and response splits for over half of the questions in the survey. These questions have been provided based on the most highly correlating factors of engagement, those factors which have the biggest impact on levels of colleague engagement here at Salford. You have also been provided with the ’15 most highly correlated questions’ from our 2017 survey (highlighted in bold in the ‘data packs’). Shifting things in relation to these questions will lead to the biggest improvement in terms of engagement.

Our senior leaders will be having the same conversations around engagement and answering the same questions set out in the ‘data packs’ as everyone else. However, their context, of course, will be different. They will be considering the questions as leaders of a University and exploring what they need to do to improve organisational clarity, managerial engagement, personal growth and overall levels of engagement. However, engagement is not the responsibility of an individual or small group of people. We have varying degrees of impact but we can all make a contribution to improving employee engagement here. Our senior leaders must contribute to the Salford Community to improve engagement. Equally, we need to do something too, no matter how small the change. Small change – big difference.

Our annual staff survey runs during Semester 1 in the autumn and all colleagues are encouraged to participate to share their views on what it’s like to work here. Our survey is administered by Best Companies, the national company which provides the data for the Times Top 100 Companies to work for lists. During the survey window you’ll get an email with your personal invite to participate so just click on this to fill in the survey, any contributions you make will be anonymous and confidential.

Our last survey ran in Oct/Nov 2016 and our survey results will be published in early 2017. You’ll be kept up-to-date on these and what we can collectively do to act on them and make our University an even better place to work.

Equality and diversity

Management information

The welfare of our people is of primary importance to the University and having correct information allows us to be able to contact you when necessary. It is also vital to our business continuity planning should any emergency situations arise at the University. In addition, it is a condition of employment that your details are kept updated.

If your circumstances have changed recently then please complete the ‘Changes to Contact Details’ form which you can find under the ‘Change of Personal Circumstance’ drop down on the following page.

If you go to the Managment Information page, then select the 'Systems Support' drop-down, you will be able to download and complete the 'SAP – User Request Form'. This will need to be completed then approved by your line manager or approving manager. The systems team will contact you once your account has been created to arrange training, which can take up to two weeks to arrange. The Management Information page can be accessed here.

As a manager you can access SAP information on your staff via Manager’s Desktop. To request access to Managers Desktop, you need to go to the Management Information page, then select the 'Managers Desktop' drop-down. From here you will be able to download and complete the 'Managers Desktop Request Form' which needs to be approved by your line manager or approving manager. The Management Information page can be accessed here.

Please complete a Report Specification Form, then email it to Saphepldesk@salford.ac.uk. Within the form, please provide as much information as possible as to what data is required and what the data is required for. Please also include a date when the information is required by which will enable us to schedule in your request.

Unused days of annual leave can only be carried over with the express permission of your line manager. For any approved days, the line manager or your area SAP inputter should email the relevant details to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk who will be able to update the records on SAP.

On the Management Information page under the 'Systems Support' drop-down, you will be able to find the Absence Recording Manual, which will help you with any of your Absence Inputting queries including inputting sickness absence. The Management Information page can be accessed here. If your specific question is not answered here, then please contact the SAP Helpdesk via SAPHelpdesk@salford.ac.uk

Organisational change

Everyday & other HR Admin

The welfare of our people is of primary importance to the University and having correct information allows us to be able to contact you when necessary. It is also vital to our business continuity planning should any emergency situations arise at the University. In addition, it is a condition of employment that your details are kept updated.

If your circumstances have changed recently then please complete the ‘Changes to Contact Details’ form which you can find under the ‘Change of Personal Circumstance’ drop down on the following page.

You will need to contact your line manager in writing (email
or letter) confirming that you wish to resign from your post/s at the
University and state the date you intend for your employment to end.

The amount of notice that you need to provide will be
detailed in your contract of employment. However the standard requirements are
detailed below:

Grades 6 and below = One calendar months’ notice

Grades 7 and above = Three calendar months’
notice

Should you wish to leave earlier than the required notice
period you must discuss this with your line manager in the first instance.

Your line manager will need to forward your written
resignation to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk
with confirmation of the agreed final date of employment.

You will receive written confirmation of the end of your
employment from the University in due course and will be asked to complete an exit
questionnaire and return this to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk.
Alternatively, you can arrange to meet with your line manager to talk through
the questionnaire together.

Once your final date of employment is confirmed your manager will be advised of your pro rata annual leave entitlement for the current leave year. The amount of annual leave you have already taken will be deducted.

Any accrued leave should be taken before your final date of employment and leave should be booked in the usual way in agreement with your line manager.

With regards to
information in relation to your pension you must contact Rachel Nield (Pensions
Officer). The contact number is 0161 295 4193 or email pensions@salford.ac.uk.

If you decide that
you do wish to retire you will need to contact your line manager in writing
(email or letter) confirming that you wish to retire from your post/s at the
University and state the date you intend for your employment to end.

The amount of notice
that you need to provide will be detailed in your contract of employment.
However the standard requirements are detailed below:

Grades 6 and below = One calendar months’ notice

Grades 7 and above = Three calendar months’ notice

Your line manager
will need to forward your expression of intent to retire to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk
with confirmation of the agreed final date of employment.

You will receive
written confirmation of the end of your employment from the University in due
course and will be asked to complete an exit questionnaire (and HESA information if
applicable) and return this to HRAdvice@salford.ac.uk. Alternatively, you can
arrange to meet with your line manager to talk through the questionnaire
together.

Confirmation of the
agreed retirement date will also be sent to Rachel Nield and necessary
arrangements made.

Additional Information for Professors:

Council may confer
the title of Professor Emeritus upon any person who at the time of their
retirement has held the appointment of Professor in the University. This title
is an honour in the gift of the University in recognition of distinguished
service or academic distinction and there is no appeal should the University
decide not to award the title. Details of the application process are available
in the Professorial Appointments and Promotions Procedure.

The University values the knowledge, skills and experience of all its employees and recognizes the benefits that flexible retirement may have for both the employee concerned and the University as a whole. The Flexible Working Policy details the University’s approach to flexible retirement, which is in line with current legislation and good practice.

With regards to information in relation to your pension you must contact Rachel Nield (Pensions Officer). The contact number is 0161 295 4193 or email pensions@salford.ac.uk.

If you decide that you do wish to be considered for Flexible Retirement you must complete the Flexible Retirement Form and submit to their line manager no later than three months before the requested implementation date.

There is no right to flexible retirement and each application will be considered on its individual merit in light of service delivery needs, the benefits to the University of the retirement and the overall cost to the pension fund and the University.

Staff can access our Employee Assistance Programme via the web resource or by their free, confidential telephone support helpline. This service can be accessed 24 hours a day and all calls will be handled a qualified counsellor. All enquiries are dealt with in the strictest confidence. The Support Helpline number is 0800 716 017.

Health, Safety & Occupational Health

'Health Management Limited' (HML) is an Occupational Health services provider, which supports organisations by providing clinical and advisory medical services to employees, which aim to allow preventative measures and can also support individuals returning to work from a period of absence.

HML is a major national provider with considerable experience of delivering occupational health services throughout the UK, including to local authorities, health and higher education sectors. HML will be the University's Occupational Health is committed to delivering high quality services to our employees, their services became effective on 01/04/2016.

The HML clinic is based at the following arrangements. Employees required to travel to this location should enquire with their line manager in the first instance if support is required with travel arrangements. This could be due to a mobility impairment.

The University is committed to promoting the health and wellbeing of all our employees and supporting them through periods of ill health. Some employees may benefit from undergoing a health assessment which will allow them and their manager understand more about a potential condition, how it can impact their work duties, or their progress in returning to work from a period of absence. HML are the University's provider of occupational health support services, in order to make referrals on behalf of their team members line managers are required to set-up an online profile with HML, they will then be able to raise requests.

Please note, only line managers should create an online profile and raise requests. As such, if you are an employee in need of additional support, please speak with your line manager in the first instance.

You will be required to complete a number of fields, it is important that for the 'Line Manager' field you select 'UoS-OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SUPPORT, 1'. This is required so the HR Team can facilitate your request with HML, you don't need to select your actual line manager within the University.

Once you have provided all your details and selected 'Register Now' you will be sent an email from the HML system. Once you open this email and provide verification you'll be able to use the system.

Please following these steps to raise a request for a health assessment:

Click on the link to access the secure HML website (https://portal.healthmanagement.org.uk). Insert the username and password you've previously created. You will then be presented with a number of options on the top menu bar

You should then select ‘Make a Referral’ you can then log-on and complete the referral for the employee, providing as much information as possible. The following guidance document is useful, providing information on how to use the system and what information should be submitted: 'How to make a quality referral'.

When all information is added to the online referral form, select “send”. This will submit the referral to HR Services for checking. HR services will support you in ensuring that the content is appropriate and complete.

HR Services will then send to HML and formally make the referral on your behalf.

At any time in the future, you can access the website and check the status of the referral and where in the process it is.

All services provided by HML are dealt with in the strictest confidence and information is only disclosed to third parties with the individual’s explicit consent.